February 2016 Newsletter
FEBRUARY TASTING EVENTS
WINE TASTING: Thursday – February 25th - 5:30 to 7:30pm
Alberto Passeri agronomist and director of the estate
LA GERLA
Brunello and more
Join us on Saturday February 13th , 2pm to 6 pm for a
VALENTINES DAY WINE TASTING
A Selection of wines perfect pour l’amour.
THE LAST SATURDAY WINE SCHOOL
Something NEW! Starting this month, the last Saturday of the month will turn from a ‘whatever we feel like drinking†tasting event to a mini wine school tasting. We’ll pick a topic, theme, etc. and taste with a purpose! The wines we taste will be offered as a package with a discount. This month we’ll start with the basics: A Short Guide to tasting and evaluating wine. This is very informal with no scheduled start or finish time. Come anytime you want between 2 and 6 pm on Saturday, February 27th Each session will be about 10 minutes!
FEBRUARY “SHORT SIPS†CLASS - Pairing Wine and Cheese
Rescheduled from January
Serving wine with a cheese course is a classic (hence our company name); but not all cheeses are a complement to wine & not all wines complement cheese. We’ll taste some good and some not so good wine and cheese options. A one hour educational program, limited to eight people and held in our fine wine room. Because the demand has been so great we are doing the class twice in JANUARY – FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19th and 20th from 5:30 to 6:30pm –– There is a $5 per person class fee and availability is on a first come first serve basis but you can call & reserve spaces at any time. (A great idea for your group as a prelude to dinner.)
2013 Domaine du Colombier Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Gaby
Syrah is my favorite winter wine and this top bottling from Colombier has the volume turned up. From selected vineyard sites that include 60 years of average vine age, it is, like most of Crozes-Hermitage, grown on sites with more alluvial soils and less granite that Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage. This increases the density and the richness but perhaps leaves less Syrah spicy notes.
Here is a review from the Wine Advocate: “I loved the 2013 Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Gaby. Deep, rich and surprisingly concentrated, it offers classic blackberry, cassis, violets and pepper to go with a medium to full-bodied feel on the palate. It has plenty of richness and should have a decade of longevity.†(WA #216)
Regular price: $33.99 On SALE: $29.99 (While supplies last.) (Save add’l 10% on a case.)
- 2009 BRANDBORG ‘Ferris Wheel Estate†OREGON PINOT NOIR Umpqua Valley
Like me, Sue Brandborg is a left handed redhead so I already felt a bond when I first met her at a trade tasting. The basic 2012 Brandborg Pinot Noir is our top selling Oregon Noir and the special we ran on the “Love Puppets†cuvee a year ago sold out in a few days. We recently tasted this 2009 single vineyard (2009 was one of the great Oregon Vintages) which should be in the store mid-February and it was delicious with dark cherries, a touch of cola all medium bodied, ripe and elegant. Only 405 cases were produced and far less are still available. We are suggesting that you reserve a bottle or a case as we believe it will sell out quickly.
The price is $25.99/bottle order 6 and save 10%, order 12 and save 15%.
2012 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch Sonoma,California,
“The 2012 Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch Old Vines is a darker-colored, more concentrated and denser Zinfandel revealing lots of black cherry, mulberry and sweet, wild, briary fruit notes. Medium to full-bodied, lush and sexy, it is best consumed over the next 3-4 years.†(eRobertParker.com #216)
ONLY ONE CASE AVAILABLE: Regular price: 33.99/btl SALE: $26.99/btl. (No further discounts.)
NEW ARRIVALS
Terrific white Burgundy with some bottle conditioning at a reasonable price:
2012 Domaine de la Croix Senaillet St Veran Sur la Carriere Maconnais, Burgundy, France - “The 2012 St Véran Sur la Carrière was vinified in a demi-muid and matured in the fine lees for nine months. This has always been one of my go-to Saint Veran wines and the 2012 does not disappoint. It has a detailed bouquet with subtle scents of lemon curd, white peach and touches of yellow flower that blossom in the glass. The palate is very well-balanced with crisp acidity, great tension, well-integrated oak and a very harmonious, saline finish that lingers long in the mouth and begs another sip. This is an utterly delectable Saint Veran.†(eRobertParker.com #215) $34.99
A Bordeaux blend from one of the best Argentine producers:
2011 Achaval-Ferrer “Quimera†Mendoza, Argentina– “This dark, compact red leads with a floral note to the racy cassis and cherry puree fruit, well-integrated with fine tannins and bright acidity. Offers a long finish of fruit, mineral and tobacco. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2018. (WS Nov 15, 2013) $39.99
Intriguing, funky, medium bodied Sicilian:
2012 Feudo di Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, Sicily, Italy– 50% Nero D’Avola and 40% Frappato. “Medium ruby-red. Fruit-driven aromas of raspberry, black cherry, flint, mocha, tar and smoky oak. Bright and juicy on the palate, displaying good definition to the dark berry and herb flavors. Finishes with moderate length and a repeating flinty quality.†(Vinious Dec 2015) $13.99
Bandol puts the “win†back in winter:
2011 Domaine Maubernard AOC Bandol, Provence, France - Made mainly from Mourvedre along with smaller amounts of Grenache, this full-bodied dry red produced near the Mediterranean coast east of Marseilles offers a densely knit web of aromas recalling plums, tobacco, steak sauce and beeswax. Perfect with cassoulet in front of a fireplace on the coldest of winter nights! $29.99
MONTHLY SPECIALS
Feb 2016 | Usual | Case (cs.btl cost) |
|
---|---|---|---|
*2014 Kaltern "K" Rosso, Alto Adige, Italy | $ 8.99 | $11.99 | $ 96 ($ 8.00) |
*2014 Herdade do Esporão, Monte Velho Branco, Alentejo, Portugal | $ 8.99 | $10.99 | $102 ($ 8.50) |
*2014 Chateau Magneau Graves Blanc, Bordeaux, France | $10.99 | $12.99 | $120 ($10.00) |
*2013 Stephen Vincent Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, Cal. | $10.99 | $12.99 | $120 ($10.00) |
2013 Bodegas Bal d' Isabena Moristel, Somontano, Spain | $ 8.99 | $16.99 | $102 ($ 8.50) |
2014 Dr. Heyden Oppenheimer Riesling Kabinett, Germany | $11.99 | $13.99 | $135 ($11.25) |
2014 Attilio Contini Cannonau di Sardegna "Tonaghe", Sardinia, Italy | $11.99 | $14.99 | $135 ($11.25) |
2013 Domaine Thorigny Vouvray Sec, Loire, France ) | $12.99 | $14.99 | $138 ($11.50 |
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